Miranda’s Story – update

Thank you to everyone who came to MaDCaff and made it another very special occasion. A few people asked me why I didn’t play….This was partly because there were so many of you wanting to perform but also, I was actually recovering from a rotten cold.

As usual there are so many things I wanted to say but forgot to in the moment and maybe also because talking about mental health isn’t always easy!

So here is what I’d like to say….

Last year was perhaps the worst year of my life. After staggering between depression and hypomania for a few years, I was knocked into a deep depression which lasted almost a year. I was under the duvet for 23 hours a day and for a large part of the time, wished I was dead. I had cut off from virtually everyone in my life and was spiralling down further day by day, desperate to end the constant and crippling pain I was in. I was suicidal for many months, and made a serious attempt at taking my life during this time

It’s hard for even me reading this to believe it’s possible to get to this point in life, but it’s surprisingly easy. Any one of us can be hit by mental illness at any time. Indeed, statistics tell us one in four will experience mental illness in our lives.

My point in telling you a this is manyfold…Firstly, to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health, and bust the many myths still prevelent in our communities. But also, on a positive note, to show you that recovery is possible!

Six months ago, at the tail end of my major depressive episode I voluntarily hospitalised myself….It was the beginning of my journey back to well being.

Miranda

The write up and photos from our most recent MaDCaff will be online soon, I’m travelling at the moment.
(Rachel)